KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — Malaysia will have drier and hotter weather due to a lack of rain for a prolonged period following the final phase of the North-east Monsoon that is expected to continue till the end of March.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said that cloud cover and rainfall will be reduced in most areas, especially the north of the peninsula, including Perak, Pahang and Kelantan during this period.

"Hot weather during this period is a repeated phenomenon that occurs annually every February to May. During this time, daily maximum temperatures can exceed 35 C in early afternoons,” he said in a statement here today, adding that the highest temperature recorded by the department’s stations was 36.9 C in Chuping, Perlis on February 8.

Higher temperatures are expected to to the strong El Nino phenomenon, he said and advised everyone to take steps in reducing water usage and limiting the time outside buildings to avoid overexposure to hot weather.

He also urged the public to be conscious of weather changes and to obtain the latest weather information and warnings from MetMalaysia’s official website, the myCuaca app and its social media channels. — Bernama